The present invention relates to digital still cameras which capture and store images.
Digital still cameras exist that capture an image with a sensor, and store captured images within the digital still camera. Various media storage systems have been developed that permit the storage of one or more of the capture images in a removable media cassette. The cassettes can hold a flexible (xe2x80x9cfloppyxe2x80x9d) or rigid (xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d) rotating disk having a magnetically or optically sensitive coating. U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,457 is one such system, wherein a digital still camera stores captured still images on a removable optical disk.
Digital images are data, and other systems have been disclosed that record data onto writable optical or magnetic tape. Such a method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,021. A magnetic tape is stored on two reels, and individual images are recorded in separate areas on the tape. A magnetic head having a plurality of writing elements is used to record digital image information.
Conventional photographic film can be considered an optical media that can stores image information onto light sensitive silver halide grains using an optically focused image. Such grains are limited in recording density compared to an optical tape medium. In the Advanced Photographic System (APS) standard, a removable cassette carries a strip of light sensitive film in a light tight cassette. Features on the film strip and in the cassette permit the film strip to be stored on a single spool. The film is accessed by thrusting the film from the cassette, passing the film through an exposing area and taking the film up onto a take-up spool. The film is advanced for reading or writing an image and the film is wound back into the cassette for removal. The APS cassette has a small size than optical tape spool-to-spool systems, and protects the media using a single spool.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an efficient storage arrangement for digital still cameras.
This object is achieved in a digital still camera for receiving a optical tape cassette having optical tape comprising:
(a) an image sensor for capturing an image;
(b) optical means for focusing an image of a subject onto the image sensor which in response thereto captures such image;
(c) means for receiving the optical tape cassette;
(d) an optical head including write means for effecting a change in the optical properties of the optical tape;
(e) means coupled to the optical tape cassette for moving such optical tape into operative relationship with the optical head; and
(f) means coupled to the image sensor and the optical head write means for causing the optical head write means to effect changes in the optical properties of the optical tape in accordance with the image captured by the image sensor.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a digital still camera that can convert images captured by an image sensor into a format which is stored on optical tape.
An important feature of the present invention is that images can be captured on optical tape stored in an optical tape cassette which can readily be inserted and removed from the digital still camera.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide an improved removable image storage means for a digital still camera that stores multiple digital images in a optical tape cassette. The optical tape cassette can be conventional that protects optical tape from damage. A single recording element is needed to write to the optical phase change on the optical tape. Surface contact problems are eliminated by non-contact writing to the optical tape. High resolution images are written to each frame by micro-stepping the recording head to create a plurality of partial circular tracks. A plurality of frames permits storage of multiple images.